Detecting Graphical interface after calling Runtime.exec()

Question

I'm trying to integrate with a legacy system. The legacy system uses dialog windows to report errors. It have no return codes at all except for the dialog windows. I start the legacy system with Runtime.exec().

Is there a way to detect if the executed program has spawned dialog windows or any other graphical interface? This solution is done in Windows and the executed program is an exe.

Answer 1

If the legacy system report errors in console, is possible get your erros.
Simply take the inputstream of error and do your reading.

Like this:

Runtime rt = Runtime.getRuntime();
Process proc = rt.exec(cmd);
// any error message?
InputStream error = proc.getErrorStream(); 
InputStreamReader isr = new InputStreamReader(error);
BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(isr);
String line=null;
while ( (line = br.readLine()) != null)
      System.out.println(" ERROR >" + line); 

I recommend to read: Runtime.exec() quirks

Hope this help.

Answer 2

You can use this JNA snippet to poll for windows started by your process.

AFAIK, you can only get the standard and error output streams from a process using the Java Process API.